suddenly hates high chair

[x95stocchier]

DS (12 months) had a rough stomach bug last week, and understandably didn't eat solids for 3-4 days.  We started back by snacking on crackers, etc.  He's now back to eating solids, but about 70% of the time he screams when I try to put him in the high chair.  I know he's hungry b/c he tries to pull up my shirt to nurse, but I need to get him back on track with solids too.....once in the high chair he will either: calm down and eat or continue to scream (at which point I take him out and skip the meal).  Last night he screamed and screamed and got rigid when I tried to put him in, so we just skipped dinner all together.

I've tried saying "okay you aren't ready" and play for another 10-15 min etc but he still screams when I try again.  Has he just gotten used to snacking around the house from when he was sick, and no doesn't want to be confined to the high chair?  How do I deal with his high chair aversion?  At what point do I just say, " enough is enough, you must eat now" ? 

Thanks!
Sarah

[Pigeon]

HI Sarah,
Is Daniel too small for a booster seat/regular adult chair with cushions? Maybe if he has got used to snacking around the house, you could try either of those - it would be a novelty but NOT his usual high chair (which it sounds like he is resisting!) He maybe too young for an adult chair and might keep escaping, but a booster seat would have straps. That way he could sit to the table with you too, which might make him feel like a bigger boy! 
HTH

[mari]

Alex hates her high chair (she is older, nearly 2) but I need to use something as she gets up and walks about all the time so I use a chair that straps to a regular dining chair and she sits at the table with us rather than at the side of us and she loves it.  I think that she feels like a big girl.

[MrsKirky]

DS also went through a high-chair aversion around your child's age.  I went to IKEA and bought him a table and bench and 2 chairs.  He eats there all the time now.  Not too much money - about $30 for the table, 20 for bench, and about $25 total for chairs.  I figure he will use them a lot longer than the high-chair anyway.  We also bought several larger bibs that cover more of his front to keep the mess down.  HTH!